This invention relates generally to wash systems, such as systems relating to vehicle washing; more particularly it concerns method and apparatus for such washing, employing deionized water.
As is known, very large numbers of vehicles such as trucks, automobiles, and boats are hand washed frequently, employing tap water at city pressure below 100 psi, and/or soaps, and/or detergents. This results in required use of millions of gallons of tap water, and tons of soaps and detergents, frequently entering storm sewer systems and water bodies receiving flow from such sewer systems.
Although efforts to reduce industrial pollution have been successful, the lack of a low cost convenient alternative to hand washing of vehicles has prevented or has limited success in this area. In fact, the lack of an acceptable alternative has been responsible for issuance of exemptions for residential vehicle washing.
It is a major object of the invention to provide improved cleaning apparatus and methods, employing a high-pressure stream or streams of de-ionized water, used in ways providing a solution or solutions to the above described problems. The use of a stream or streams of high-pressure de-ionized water, directed at vehicle surfaces, accomplishes superior cleaning, eliminates need for soap and/or detergent, enables spot-free air drying of such surfaces, and provides a time-saving incentive for the user. This also helps to eliminate the need for soap and contributes to the water usage savings associated with the present system.
Basically, the improved compact, portable system to produce a high pressure stream of deionized water, for cleaning vehicle metal bodies, comprises, in combination:
a) a deionization bed within a first vessel,
b) a first conduit or conduits to conduct non-deionized water at a relatively low pressure or pressures to pass through the bed to deionized the water,
c) a primary sensor to measure the deionization level of water that has passed through the bed,
d) a second conduit or conduits to conduct water from the bed,
e) a pump to receive water passed by the second conduit or conduits and to pressurize the received water to a level of at least about 1,200 PSI,
f) a nozzle connected to the pump and operable to controllably dispense a high pressure stream of deionized water for highly effective cleaning of such bodies,
g) and a hand truck carrying said vessel, conduits, pump and nozzle for transporting same to the location of said body or bodies.
As will be seen, the vessel is typically elongated upwardly, and the hand truck has a frame that extends upwardly to support said vessel, and there being wheels carrying said frame. A platform is typically provided to be integral with the frame, and the pump is carried by the platform, generally sidewardly of the upwardly elongated vessel.
A further object is to provide a flexible conduit to conduct water from the pump to the dispensing nozzle, and a receptacle carried by the assembly, as for example by the frame, to removably receive the nozzle.
Yet another object is to locate frame carrying wheels generally below pump level, when the frame extends generally vertically.
A yet further object includes provision of a method of use of the referenced apparatus, and which includes:
h) wheeling the hand truck carrying the vessel, conduits, pump and nozzle to the use location,
i) orienting the hand truck frame in upright position, with the vessel located at one side of the frame in ground supported configuration,
j) removing the nozzle from a holder on the frame and extending the second conduit with the nozzle to a position wherein the nozzle is directed to the body or bodies to be cleaned,
k) and operating the pump with the nozzle open to deliver a pressurized deionized water spray stream to said body or bodies.
Additionally, the method contemplates provision of multiple wash stations, and operating the apparatus at successive wash stations for selected use. The vessel is typically removed from the frame when the water deionizing capability of the bed is reduced substantially; and providing and connecting a substitute bed containing vessel onto the frame for use with said pump and nozzle, as referred to.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: